The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-04-23

"giris," upon women servants for the
housing aud certain number of dollars
per month they have received. @
A mans work stops at set of sun,
Awoman's work Is never done. Isl
Wives have accepted this state of
affairs, worked and continued 10 work
sixteen hours per day instead of the
eight required for men. But will house
hold servants continue to work twelve,
fourteen and sixteen hours per day, ris-
ing at six and often working until ten at
night, and always required to be on call
between these hours, excepting, perhaps,
for couple of hours once In the weekly
Nurses have changed the whole aspect
of affairs by system Of training and
exacting high price for their services.
Why may not the general house servant?
The nurse, at $50 per week and her
board and washing, is not always an
agreeable person to have about; never
thcless, doctors demand her, because she
can fake directions intclligently, knows
how to make and apply poultice, and
what is needed in an emergency. Most
women, as q matter of choice, would
rather have an Intelligent, helpful friend
than trained nurse in sickness; but
friends" are not SO available since high
money value has been put upon such
services; and you cannot help thinking,
and cannot help knowing, that they are
thinking that the services they render
are worth Just so much in cash to them
and to you; and as the obligation will
remain, it is generally preferable to have
It take business shape, and discharge it
in business way. 2i W
1t is a-little curious that we write and
talk about the working class" and "ser-
vant-class" in this country, as if they
were fixed quantities. In reality we
have no Glasses for the expert work
man of to-day is the master workman
to-morrow-and his children arc the
miliionaires Of the next generation. The
servant girl who marries the clever
workman shares his fortune; if she mar
ries a poor one she naturally marries pow
erty and misfortune, and has to help, like
the community at large, to support them.
llousekeepers must get the idea out
of their heads that any "class" has
been created for their behoof and benefit.
If they pay low wages and require length
of hours and days they must be content
with ignorance, and willing to train 1t
into competence-content, too, when 1t
becomes competence, to see it gowhere
it can secure better pay.
Mothers must return to first principles
and teach their daughters TO take share
in household duties. There never was a
time when intelligence and care were
more needed in the performance of house.
hold labor than nowhere never was
time when less Of both were put into il.
Our houses are full of complicated ma.
chinerys and decorative articles that re.
quire much time and gentle handling for
their preservation and adjustmcnt-yct
the whole, with the cooking, washing
and ironing and incessant waiting upon
q door-bell, will be left to one or two
over-worked, inexperienced, recently ar
rived Servants" while the mother IS at
tending to her societies" and the daugh-
tiers arc on the street. Societies are good,
exercise is good but neither should in
tcrfcre with the performance of duties in
which the welfare of the family is in
volved; and the near future, in the fur
ther development of the labor movement,
promises 10 force Ill me oollgallons we
may assume upon our own shouloers,
unless, as during the civil war, we can
afford to pay high for substitute.
"a One OF the good effects which may be
anticipated will be to get rid of an I'M.
pleasant characteristic of our women
as "nation Of invalids," The &C.
tual facts are not in accordance with this
idea, but the impression remains all the
same, and arises from the over-worked
or undeycloped conditions and the
strained nervous tendencies In which
these result. "Christian Science" "SIind..
Cure" and the like, arc the outgrowth Of;
mental disease or disturbance which
drugs cannot reach, and simply mean aid
In obtaining q grip upon the helpful,
hopeful, courageous side of life. This is
what women most need. The mere
complaining woman and the woman who
lives by sucking tho life of others, must.
go-their. death-warrant Is already is
sued. y - &
s. 1t is beginningato be understood that
the exercise and development of natural
faculty IRE. not hurtful, but healthful.
There has been much discussion Of late
in regard &to the effect of study upon
girls. The evidence SIS overwhelming